Mail catcher and deliverer.



m. 694,878. Patented mar. 4, 1902.

` .1. 1F. MILLS, 1R. a; c. memo, 1R, --`f- MAIL CATCHER 'AND DELIVERER.

(Application led. May'16 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheetzl.

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No. 694,878. Patented Mar.` 4, i902.

J. F. MILLS, 1R. C. FREMD, JR.

MAIL CATCHEB AND DELIVEBER.

(Application filed Hay 15, 1901.)

(No Model.) I A2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNrTnD "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`JOHN F. MILLS, JR., AND CHARLES FREMD, JR., OF PORT CHESTER,

. NEW YORK.

MAIL cAT'cHER AND neuw-:Risa

SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,878, dated Marchd, 1902,. Application-tiled May 15| 1901. Serial No. 60,331. (No model.) i

To all wtont t 17m/y conceru.

Be it known that we, JOHN F. MILLS, J r., and CHARLES FREMD, J r., citizens of the United States, and residents of Port Chester, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and lmproved Mail Catcher and Deliverer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. I

The purpose of the invention is to provide a device adapted for attachment to the doorsection of a mail-car and a corresponding device to be located upon a platform of a station adjacent to the tracks, each of which devices is fitted vwith means for holding a mailbag in suspension and means for catching and gripping a mail-bag, the arrangement of the holding and gripping devices being such that the device upon thev platform will automatically take the suspended bag from the mail-car at the same time that the gripping device carried by the mail-car takes the suspended bag from the platform device.

Afurther purpose of the invention is to provide safe and automatically-acting gripping devices for the mail-bags so constructed that said devices may be set in an open position and the moment that a bag is brought into engagement with the open devices grippingarms, forming portions of such devices, will instantly close over the bag and hold it until purposely released, and, further, to so ccnstruct the platformdevice that when a bag is gripped thereby the grippingl mechanism will be automatically caused to turn to a position practically parallel with the track or a position over the platform to which the device is attached, from which position the gripping device may be readily released and permitted to return toa, position at right angles to the track or in a position to receivea bag from a mail-car. 1

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lis aperspective view of a portion of a mail-car and the improved device applied thereto and a perspective view of the device applied to a platform adjacent to the track, showing the gripping-sections of both devices in open position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the upper portion of the platform device in closed position, parts being in section. Fig.,3 is a partial side elevation andV sectional view of the device adapted for attachment to a mail-car. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the device shown in Fig. 3, illustrating a mailbag gripped. by the jaws of the device. Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection through Va portion of a mail-car and supportinglshaft of the device and a plan view of the gripping mechanism in open and set position, and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the standard or post of aslightly-modiied form of the device and a plan view of the gripping mechanism shown in positive lines as closed upon a bag and in dotted lines as in open position.

A represents a portion of a mail-car having the usual side dooropening 10. Adjacent to one ofthe side jambs of the door-opening 10 a shaft 11 is mounted to turn in hearings 12 at the upper portion of the door-opening or at the roof of the car and in corresponding bearings which are secured to the door of the car. This shaft 11 is provided at its upper portion with a spring 13, coiled around the shaft, and one end of the spring is secured to the shaft, while the other has bearing against and is secured to the jamb adjacent to which the shaft 11 is placed, and the tendency of this spring is to turnthe shaft 11 in an ontward direction; but such action on the part of the spring may loe restrained by means of a brake 14, consisting of an arm pivoted upon 'a suitable hearing 15, attached to the upper portion of the Vdooropening and having a fork at its lower end which embraces the shaft, as shown in Fig. 3; hut the brake 14 may loe removed from Vthe'shaft 11 at any time by drawing down upon arod, link, cord, or'chain 16, attached to the said brake-lever. Two arms 17 are secured to the shaft l1 at right angles thereto, and these arms are in a horizontal position and are constructed in the conventional way to hold a mail-bag 18 in such manner that the mailhag may be readily slipped from said arms and when the spring 13 on the shaft 11 is in action the arms 17 extend out from the mail-car, at a right angle thereto, as is shown in Fig. 1. Below the arms 17 other arms 19 and 2O are secured to the shaft 1l, occupying a position similar to the arms 17, and each arm 19 and 2O is provided witha jaw, (designated, respectively, as 19n and 203,) which jaws are curved in direction of the door-opening 10, as is shown in Fig. 1. A third jaw 21 is secured upon a spindle 22a, which extends from the arm 19 to the arm 20, where the jaws 19a and '20L connect with said arms, and an intermediate jaw 22 is adapted when in set position to face oppositely to the jaws 19 and 20, and all of the jaws are more or less curved and are preferably serrated or roughened upon their inner faces. A spring 23 is coiled around the spindle 22, and this spring is attached at one end to the spindle and at the other end to a collar 21, which extends upward from the lower arm 20, as is best shown in Fig. 3. A keeper-arm 24 is secured to the spindle 22 at a point above the intermediate jaw 22, and this keeper-arm extends rearward and then outward or forward between the upper fixed jaw 19a and the intermediate movable jaw 22. This keeper-arm 24 is adapted forengagement by a latch-head 25 when the intermediate or movable jaw is to be held in set or open position, as shown in Fig. 3. Said latch-head 25 is attached to an angular trip-bar26,which is fulcrumed upon the upper fixed jaw 19a and extends downward in front of the lower fixed jaw 20 to a point below the same, and this trip-bar 26 is preferably provided with curved cross-bars 27, arranged at intervals in its length. When the shaft l1 is relieved from the brake 14, the said shaft turns outward, and the arms 19 and 20 extend outward at right angles to the mail-car; but before the shaft 11 is released from the brake 14 the movable jaw 22 is drawn inward to such an extent that the latch-head 25 may engage with the keeper-bar 24 and hold the movable jaw in its set position, placing the spring 23 under tension. When the latch-head 25 is thus in engagement with the keeper-bar 24,

the trip-bar 26 will be out of engagement with and will extend outward from the concaved or inner face of the lower xed jaw 20, and as soon as a mail-bag is brought in engagement with the trip-bar 2G the said bar is forced back and the latch-head 25 is disengaged from the keeper-bar 24, thus freeing the movable jaw 22, which, owing to the spring 23, will instantly close over the bag and hold said bag between it and the fixed jaws and the tripbar. The shaft 11 may then be turned inward, so as to bring the gripped mail-bag within reach of the operators in the mail-car, and when the movable jaw 22 is opened it is again set and the mail-bag is freed.

In connection with the device applied to the main car an equivalent device is adapted to be placed upon a platform at a station adjacent to the tracks over which the mail-car is to pass. This latter device consists of an upright or standard B of any approved type, provided with a head or cap section B', which is mounted to turn upon the upper portion of the standard or upright B through themedium of a pin 28, carried by either one or the other of the said parts, and the opposing surfaces Qf the two parts B and B' are chambered to receive a spring 29, coiled around the pin 28, one end of which spring is attached to the cap-section B' of the upright or standard and the other end of the spring is attached to the body portion of the standard orupright. The cap-section B' of the upright or standard is usually provided with an exterior flange or shoulder 30 at its body portion engaged by a projection 32 from an arm or bracket 31, attached to the body B of said upright or standard, although the two parts may be held together in any otherapproved manner. A latch 33 is pivoted on the upper portion of the bracket 31, and a chain, rope, or link 34 or its equivalent is attached to this latch, so that the latch-head may be drawn downward whenever it is desired to permit the jaws, tobe hereinafter described, to be brought in position at right angles to the track or in position to receive a mail-bag which is carried by the horizontal retaining-arms 17, forming a portion of the device, located in the mail-car.

The gripping mechanism for the mail-bag is practically the same as that which has been described as carried by the mail-car and is attached to the cap or head B'. This gripping mechanism consists of an upper arm 35, secured to the cap or head B', terminating in a curved jaw 36 atits outer end, and a lower parallel arm 37, also attached to the cap or head B', terminating at its outer end in a curved jaw 38, parallel with the jaw 36. A-springcontrolled pin 39, corresponding to the pin or spindle 22a, heretofore described, is passed from the arm 35 to the arm 37,and on this pin or spindle 39 a jaw 40 is secured, curved oppositely to the jaws 36 and 38 and adapted to move to and from the space between them. A keeper-bar 41 is secured also to the spindle or pin 39, corresponding to the keeper-bar. 24, hereinbefore described. This keeper-bar 41,

when the spring-controlled movable jaw 40 is in open position, is engaged by a latch-head 42, corresponding to the latch-head 25, hereinbefore described, and this latch-head is carried by a trip-lever 43, fulcrumed upon the upper jaw 36 and extending downward in front of and below the lower jaw 38, being provided with curved cross-bars 44. The lever 43 corresponds to the lever 26, heretofore described, and when this lever 43 is pushed inward by the mail-bag coming in contact therewith the latch-head 42 is released from the keeper-bar 41 and the movable jaw 40 closes over the bag, clamping the bag to the fixed jaws 36 and 38. The spring 29 tends to carry the gripping mechanism at aright angle to the track or to the mail-car, as shown in Fig. l, and when the mail-bag is caught ICO IFS

IIO

arm 37, as shown in Fig. .2. `The jaw is then opened, causingthe keeper-bar 4l to again engage with the-latch-head '42, and the orri in@ device is held 'in its osition aralo p a p c claim as new and desire to secure by Letters lel to the track until such time as it is to ibe called into action, whereupon by drawing. down on the link or chain 34 the latch 33 is disengaged from thegripping mechanism and the spring 2K9 carries the gripping mechanism to its receiving position at right angles to the track and to the car passing over said track. The body lof the standard or upright is provided with horizontal arms-45, which extend at right angles to thetrack and are fitted to hold a mail-bag at the top and at the bottom, the arms corresponding to the arms 17 -de. scribed in connection with the mail-car.

In Fig. 6 we have illustrated a slight departurev in the construction of the device which is `to be placed on the platform. and which is to receive the mail-bagfrom 'a passing train. This modification consists of an upright or standard46, having a cap 46?, regnlated by a .spring corresponding to that shown and described with reference to Fig. 2, and from the cap 46a' of the standard or upright 46 fixed arms 48 are extended, each arm terminating'` at its outer end in a'ja'w-4Sa. A pin orspindle 49 is passed throughthese arms 48, corresponding to the spindlesEZfZvi and 39,

heretofore described, and on this spindle a [jaw 50 is secured-,which is curved oppositely when the jaw 50 is in open position.

to the jaws 48, and on Vthesame spindle 49 a keeper-bar 5l is secured, corresponding to the keeper-bars hereinbefore described andadaptedfo-r engagement with a latch-head 52 The latch-head52 is attached to a trip-lever 53, corresponding to the levers26 and43, already described; but the spindle 49 also carries a curved arm 54 below the keeper-bar 5l, and

this curved arm is provided with `a roller 55 at its outer end. The upright 46 is provided with a rear horizontal arm 47, shaped on the lines of 'a compound curve. The jaw 50 being in its open position, as soon as the mail- .bag strikes the Vtrip-lever 53 said jaw 50 is closed upon the bag, moving in direction ofy .the .jaws 48, andthe force will carry the arms 48 in direction of the curved arrn 47, and

the roller 55 on'the rearwardly-extendin g arm 54. win Strike the Gurvedarmtr from the* standard or upright and will open the jaw 50 andcause the keeper-bar 51 to again engage vwith the latch-head 52, as is shownin dotted lines in Fig. 6. VThe arms48 will then be re` A turned `by the spring controlling the head of theupright or standard 'totheir vnormal po- 'sition or to a position which will'enablethe jaws 48a and 50 to receive anothermail-bag. Having thus described our invention, Ywe

Patentf- 1.In mail-bag catchers and deliverers,`a

- spring-controlled"support kmounted for rocking "movement, arms extending from thev said support, curved jaws carried by saidarms',

an oppositely-curved'jaw mounted between the said arms for movement to and from the fixedjaws, a keeper carried by the movable' jaw, and a latch for the .saidkeeper carried -by a fixed jaw, the latch being released from' the keeper by an object brought in contact therewith, for the purpose described.- A

2. In av mail-bag catcher and deliverer, a spring-controlled rocking support, arms fixed movementvbetween the said arms, themovto the said support, terminating in curved jaws, a spring-controlled jaw mounted for able y jaw being curvedoppositely to the fixed' able jaw, anda latch connected with one of jaws, a keeper-bar connected with the mov-- A the fixed jaws, adapted for engagement with the said keeper bar, which latch extends downward in front of the concaved portions Vof the iixedjaws, for the purpose described,

3. `In a mail-bag catcher and delivererfa' spring-controlled rocking supportarms Yfixed to the vsaid support, lextending. horizontally' therefrom and lterminating in' curved jaws,

'Slis an oppositelycurved jaW,spring-controlled and mounted to rock between thesaid arms,v `to and from the fixed jaws, a keeper-bar con;

nected with the" Asaid 'mwable jaw, a latch carried by one of the fixed jaws, adaptedfor ing down infront 'of the curved, concaved faces of the-said ixedjaws, and a latch for' the said arms, as and for the'purpose described. L In testimony whereof we havesignedour Vnames tosthis specification in the presence' of Witnesses:

WILLARD F. Socken, WM; A. KEMSEM engagement with the keeper-bar, and cxtendy j 

